In 2007, Friends of Pooh Corner condemn a planned mass shooting
of Kangaroos at Wacol and Pooh Corner

Last updated: March 2011

Background.

In 2007, the State Government employed a strategy to eradicate Wacol kangaroos. False claims were made that 6,000 roos were starving due to drought and needed to be culled. The RSPCA backed this view.

Swift community outrange forced the RSPCA to retract support for a Wacol roo cull. Under pressure, the State government hired a helicopter to do an actual roo count and found there to be only 1,300 roos, far less than the inital 6000 claimed.

Professional Australian outback kangaroo hunters, experts at judging roo health, stated the roos were not staving, were healthy and should be preserved for urban people to visit and look at.

The Government was now embarressed into consulting with local community and environment groups, with the view of preparring a draft kangaroo management plan. This process turned into a farce with the Government wanting to now eliminate kangaroos by trialing sterilization againbased on a judgment that there are too many kangaroos. Local Community groups blocked the proposal.

On-going meetings to develop a Wacol kangaroo management strategy had dragged on for years. Community groups believe the Governments real agenda is to sell off to developers the land kangaroos need to survive.[add link]

Wild kangaroos at Wacol in South Brisbane (photo taken 25th April 2007)

2007 PRESS RELEASES / MEDIA

EPA Wacol roo count results! (4th May 2007) - EPA media statement says that the number of kangaroos at Wacol is 1350; far below the 6000 - 8000 kangaroos that have been quoted in the past few weeks and not "the thousands of kangaroos causing community concern" that the EPA spoke of just a week ago!
Also see Sydney Morning Herald news article.

LACK OF CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY

Friends of Pooh Corner are appalled that the RSPCA and EPA announcement (made 22nd April 2007) to shoot kangaroos at Wacol in South Brisbane. This brutal decision was made with no consultation with local conservation groups.

Friends of Pooh Corner successfully campaigned for two years to get the 1.4 sq km block of former defence land that runs along Wacol Station road known as Pooh Corner as nature reserve for the Kangaroos to live in. Friends of Pooh Corner have worked in partnership with the Brisbane City Council and the Commonwealth Government to provide a refuge for the Kangaroos. Then along comes the RSPCA and EPA who have not bothered to ask us and our wildlife expert on what should be done to manage the wild Kangaroo population.

".... EPA agreed to accept responsibility for the kangaroos. It says it will hold talks as soon as possible with the RSPCA, land owners, conservation groups and main roads to come up with options to make the area safer for motorists and the roos. A spokesman for the authority says it could consider a land bridge to protect the wildlife, because the area will be even busier soon with a major bypass road being built there.".

Then nine days after the Landline story the RSPCA announces that a decision has been arrived at. Kill the roos to save them from traffic!

FRIENDS OF POOH CORNER DISPUTE EPA &
RSPCA CLAIMS

Kangaroo population size

At the start of the Landline story on the ABC TV it was claimed the Wacol population of Roos is about 700.

"A mob of about 700 kangaroos lives just to the west of Brisbane unusually close to a major city and major roads."(See Stateline transcript). Friends of Pooh Corner believes that the kangaroo population is close to this estimate.

Then on Sunday 22nd the Sunday Mail, quotes an EPA spokesperson saying there "is a 6000 mob at Wacol in Brisbane."

The EPA in the Sunday Mail claim they want to reduce numbers by thousands to a few hundred. However we believe there are currently hundreds (700-1000) now, not thousands!

Starving kangaroos

The RSPCA spokesperson introduced an new argument in this Sunday Mail story arguing the slaughter is needed because the drought was affecting animals and that:

" young joeys are dying in the paddock from starvation"

But no proof is given.

However if anyone visits Pooh Corner today and has a look at the kangaroos they will see the population to be fit and healthy despite the dry conditions. The photo above was taken on 25th April 2007 at Wacol. These are not starving kangaroos.